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Diversity of Journalisms. Proceedings of ECREA/CICOM Conference, Pamplona, 4-5 July 2011
Production technologies
The new technologies used for the production of information are trying to respond to
the concept of digital convergence. Since the mid 70's this concept refers to bringing
together information technologies and telecommunication (Winseck, 1998) and has a
strong focus on technology (De Sola Pool, 1983). Also, convergence is defined as the
integration of Internet with other media such as television (Thompson, 1999); as well as
the disappearance of boundaries between traditional media; and the confluence of
media platforms that allow single media to distribute their content through the internet,
mobile phone, television… (Pavlik, 1996).
However, the process of digital convergence is conditional. According to Deuze (2004)
there is no single model of convergence common to all media. Both Quinn (2005:29-
30) and Huang (2004:73) agree to refer in their definition of convergence to the
importance of creating news content that is distributed through various media.
In the production phase of journalistic content technology affects the tasks of data
collection, writing and editing of content. This is the stage where, in practice, according
to Mitchelstein and Boczkowski (2010), journalists experience great tension between
"tradition and change."
Technologies that increase contact with sources such as email, social networks or
blogs has been incorporated in preproduction sub-phase for data collection, as well as
to promote contact with the audience as sources and witnesses of news. Another
group of technologies is based on the use of Internet as a source of documentation and
information through access to databases and newspaper archives online, video
libraries, search engines ... However, the audience (due to the extension of the concept
of Web 2.0) participates in the production of information not only as a source but as a
producer of content through the use of email, discussion forums, surveys, social
networking ... In addition, through direct channels the media itself encourage its users
to produce news, send proposals or participate in other alternatives where the user
performs tasks similar to the environmental journalism with their information and / or
review of text or graphics. These activities can not be a substitute to professional
journalism.
In the production and postproduction sub-phases, journalists use tape recorders,
cameras and video, PDAs, mobile devices or smartphones, laptops, along with
publishing programs. Among these, mobile devices are evolving so rapidly that they
include more and more technological possibilities, further facilitating the work of
journalists, so called mobile journalism. On the other hand, laptops and tablets (even
more recent development) allow more easy editing, additional memory capacity and
quality of audiovisual content and layout or design of information. Therefore, for direct
data collection on the scene, journalists have new tools that allow them to take
pictures, videos and sounds with cameras, camcorders and mobile devices, to send
them to the media or to broadcast live by mobile devices, laptops, PDAs or tablets with
an Internet connection. The transmission of information in real time using tools like
Twitter and other social networks already implemented in mobile devices, PDAs,
tablets ... promotes the production of information almost immediately, making
information available to be heard and forwarded to other contacts and friends. The
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